Living and Proclaiming the Good News A PASTORAL PLAN FOR THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS IN TENNESSEE

Transcription

1 Living and Proclaiming the Good News A PASTORAL PLAN FOR THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS IN TENNESSEE Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee Diocesan Mission Statement The mission of the Catholic people of west Tennessee is to live and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church by - divine worship and prayer, - teaching and preaching the Word of God, - communal witness to the gospel, - charity and service to all.

2 Living Out Our Mission through A. Divine worship and prayer Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4: 6-7 Vision Statement: As Catholics, all of us are called to holiness. We live out that call through lives of prayer through personal prayer and especially though the sacraments of the Church. In the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee, we carry out this mission by ensuring that the sacraments are meaningfully celebrated and reasonably accessible to the largest possible number of the faithful. To accomplish this, we must be committed to the spiritual formation of all of our people and especially to the formation of those who will serve us as lay ecclesial ministers, as deacons, and as priests (both now and in the future). In our parishes and as a diocese, we must foster prayer experiences that draw upon the richness and diversity of our tradition. We must reach out to those of every language and ethnicity, inviting them to bring their unique gifts to the service of the Church, drawing upon the heritage of the many religious communities who have served and who continue to serve the people of our diocese. We must offer spiritual direction and extended prayer experiences through our parishes, our Catholic institutions, and especially through our diocesan retreat center. In all of these efforts, our goal must be to help the faithful to connect their public and private prayer to the joys and struggles of their daily lives. Objective A1 The Diocese will encourage vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate and the consecrated life from among the faithful of West Tennessee and will assess our needs for clergy in the future. Background: In the years since the Second Vatican Council, the number of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life have both dramatically decreased and at least in some areas demonstrated an increase in the last ten years. In addition, the restoration of the permanent diaconate has provided other workers for the Lord s vineyard. The Diocese must continue to support the call of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the young men and women of West Tennessee. Further, in order to prepare for the future, the Diocese must examine the number of pastors, associate pastors, chaplains, and deacons which will be needed both in the near future and over the next twenty years. The Diocese must also examine the present number of priests and deacons and their projected retirement dates in order to realistically plan for the future.

3 Objective A2 Recognizing that each family is a domestic church, the Diocese will work to promote and strengthen family life in general, and the vocation of marriage in particular, through education, support groups, and pastoral counseling reasonably available in the predominant languages spoken in our diocese. Background: Marriage and the family are the bedrock of human society. Yet the institution of marriage particularly sacramental marriage as the Church understands it is under attack on various fronts. The Diocese in conjunction with the efforts of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) must look for new ways to assist those preparing for marriage, support those whose marriages are strong, strengthen those whose marriages are troubled, and encourage those who are living with someone outside the sacrament of marriage to re-consider their vocation. We must ensure that the truths of the faith specifically that marriage is a life-long commitment of exclusive love and affection open to the bearing of children are preserved and passed along. We do this through programs such as Marriage Encounter (which promote a deeper relationship among spouses), natural family planning education, parenting classes, and Retrouvaille. We do this by ensuring that family stability is supported in our schools, programs of religious education, and in our charitable endeavors. If we expect the family to be valued by our society, we must ensure that the family is first valued and supported by the Church. Objective A3 The Diocese will develop a comprehensive pastoral plan for sacramental, educational, and charitable ministry to our brothers and sisters whose first language is Spanish. Background: In the last fifteen years, the nation as a whole and our diocese in particular has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The Diocese has 47 worshipping communities (42 parishes and 5 missions). At present, Mass is offered in Spanish on a weekly basis in 11 parishes and on a regular basis in 8 others. The Diocese recognizes that ministry to Latino Catholics is not the mission of an isolated number of parishes but of the Diocese as a whole. Just as ministry in English involves more than celebrating the sacraments, so ministry in Spanish must reach beyond the minimum to fully embrace our newest parishioners.

4 Objective A4 The Diocese will encourage and support parishes in their efforts to celebrate the Church s liturgy in a way that is faithful to the Church s Magisterium, is meaningful to parishioners and involves them in liturgical ministries. Background: The Church s liturgy and especially the celebration of the Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the life of the Church. All of the activities of a parish community should lead to the altar of the Lord and flow from it. The Diocese must provide expertise and support to parish communities in their desire to offer fitting praise and worship to our loving God by offering resources for education of the faithful in the Church s liturgical tradition and training programs for ministries, with a special emphasis on engaging our youth and young adults in the act of Divine Worship that has sustained our Church for more than two thousand years. Objective A5 The Diocese will encourage and provide opportunities for the faithful of every age, background and ethnicity to experience the Lord prayerfully in retreat settings faithful to the Church s tradition. Background: Jesus often went off to a quiet place to pray. That tradition continues in the experience of a retreat a time set aside to pray and to rest with the Lord. The Diocese operates Our Lady Queen of Peace Retreat Center. Through this center, the Diocese must make retreat experiences and spiritual direction accessible to large and small groups and to individuals of various languages. Parishes, prayer groups, Catholic organizations, and others in the Diocese of Memphis and outside of it must be encouraged to make use of this resource. In particular, the experience of a retreat must be introduced to those youth and young adults who are often engaged with social media, but not always with the God who created them.

5 B. Teaching and preaching the Word of God Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Matthew 28: Vision Statement: Evangelization is at the heart of our mission as the Catholic people of the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee. We carry out this mission by teaching and preaching the Word of God through lifelong religious education in parish religious education programs for children, youth and adults; in Catholic schools (private, parochial, and diocesan); in programs of sacramental preparation and ministry training; and through the many other works of evangelization. Our goal must be to touch every family with the Incarnate Word of God, enabling them to live out their faith throughout their lives. Special emphasis must be placed upon our work of evangelizing the youth and young adults of our diocese, engaging them through modern means of communication with the eternal truths of the faith. Our strategic initiative calls upon us to be good stewards of the resources with which we have been blessed by strengthening those educational efforts that are viable, supporting those whose viability is challenged, and searching for alternate means of accomplishing our mission of religious education when a particular program or school is deemed to be no longer viable. In particular, our Catholic schools in general and each school in particular must demonstrate a true witness to the message of the gospel in accordance with (and in fidelity to) the Catholic tradition, must adhere to the highest academic standards, and must demonstrate financial responsibility and long-term financial viability. Objective B1 All of those involved in the operation of Catholic schools in the Diocese (diocesan schools, parish schools, private schools and Jubilee schools) will come together to develop a plan of collaboration which works to unify the Catholic schools system, foster the ties to the parishes in which they are located and ensure the Catholic identity of each school. Background: One of the most visible ministries of the Catholic Church in the United States has been the Catholic school system. In the past, most schools were operated directly by parishes. Dioceses and religious communities often operated high schools which drew from several parishes or from an entire community. In the Diocese of Memphis, we have been blessed to have schools operated by parishes (at present, 12 elementary schools and 1 high school), schools operated by the Diocese (3 high schools), private schools (2 elementary and 3 high schools) and Jubilee schools those schools located on the grounds of a parish but operated by the Diocese from a trust established by private donors (8 elementary schools and initiatives at 2 of the 12 parish schools). While these schools

6 coordinate in some matters, they are largely operated independently. The Diocese needs to support the unique character of each school while at the same time ensuring a quality education and the Catholic identity of each and every school in the system. Whether a school is operated directly by a parish or not, by definition a Catholic school must be an integral part of a parish or of several parishes always leading its students to the altar and seeing its mission as flowing from the altar. Objective B2 The Catholic Schools Office and each school in the Diocese (parish, diocesan and Jubilee) will develop a realistic strategic plan for improvement in the areas of Catholic identity, academic performance, faculty and management retention, succession planning, enrollment, and financial management and viability. Background: The Catholic schools have been traditionally known for their academic excellence and for instilling in their students a strong moral character. It was expected that, if at all possible, each Catholic child would attend a Catholic school. In the twenty-first century, Catholic schools must compete with public schools, with private schools and with schools operated by other religious traditions even for Catholic students. Toward that end, every effort must be made to improve the academic standards of our schools, to encourage enrollment (especially among Catholics) and to ensure that the Catholic identity which separates our schools from all of the others is not only maintained but enhanced. Each school must live within its means with only those subsidies reasonably available and approved in advance, operating as effective and faithful stewards of their resources. Objective B3 To foster the formation of lay ecclesial ministers and to encourage broader access, the diocesan adult education efforts will be consolidated and/or coordinated with one another and with those of the parishes. Background: A variety of adult religious education programs are offered directly by the Diocese and by many parishes and ministries. In order to make these programs more accessible and comprehensive, the Diocese should work to coordinate these programs, eliminating unnecessary duplication and ensuring that programs are offered not only in English, but also in Spanish and in other languages spoken

7 throughout the Diocese. This coordination will necessarily reveal those deficiencies and gaps which were not the responsibility of individual programs but which must be the responsibility of the coordinated effort. Objective B4 The Diocese will work to strengthen and support both youth ministry and the children s religious education programs of parishes and missions to ensure that the truths of the faith are being effectively taught to future generations of Catholics. Background: Unlike in former generations, the Diocese recognizes that a majority of Catholic children are not enrolled in a Catholic school. While we should work to make education in a Catholic school more accessible and affordable for most Catholics, the importance of religious education classes outside of the Catholic schools cannot be overstated. Our high school age youth are often led away from the Church by the culture in which they live and by invitation from other religious traditions. The Church must re-double its efforts to welcome and support the growing, though vulnerable, faith of this age group in particular. These undertakings must be at least as important as our other efforts of evangelization and we must devote to these efforts the resources needed to build future disciples. Objective B5 The Diocese will reach out to those Catholics who do not practice their faith, inviting them back, reconciling those who have been hurt, and working to resolve any issues or misunderstandings that may exist. Background: While Catholics in the United States comprise the largest religious group in the country, the second largest religious group is unfortunately that of Catholics who no longer practice their faith. There are a variety of reasons for this trend among them, minimal catechesis at a young age, the prevalence of family separation, those hurt by their experience in the Church, and the pressures of our society to make religious practice strictly a private matter rather than a way of life. We can no longer assume that a child baptized Catholic will remain Catholic. We must make every effort to reclaim those who have become separated from their Catholic heritage.

8 Objective B6 The Diocese will work to build a culture of engagement among younger parishioners, inviting them through formal programs, informal gatherings, modern means of communication, and meaningful service opportunities to encounter the Risen Lord in the Catholic tradition. Background: Established by Jesus Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church has grown and blossomed in the two millennia since that first Pentecost. The faith is timeless and unchanging, yet the privileged encounter with Christ offered by the Church in Word and Sacrament is ever changing, ever new. That encounter is different and unique for each generation, each individual. As technology advances, as families become separated, as social interaction becomes at the same time more prevalent and less personal, the Church must reach out to the newest generations of Catholics differently than in the past. The Diocese directly and through its parishes and ministries must make a comprehensive effort to engage young adults, to continue to introduce them to Christ, and to support their struggles to make our timeless faith their own.

9 C. Communal witness to the gospel I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. John 15: 5 Vision Statement: Though we represent a relatively small percentage of the population of West Tennessee, our Mission Statement calls upon the Catholic Church to impact our society through communal witness to the gospel. In the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee, our most visible witness can be found in the parishes and other institutions which we operate. Some of these institutions which represent the sacrifices of generations of the faithful have a long and rich history, longer than that of the diocese itself. Yet our witness is not to the past but to the future. We must consider whether the existing parishes and institutions continue to effectively serve the needs of the diocese or whether there are opportunities for restructuring to make our witness more effective. Toward that end, each parish and ministry of the diocese must conduct its own evaluation, looking specifically at areas where cooperation with others is possible, and developing its own pastoral plan for ministry in the future. We must be committed to being examples of stewardship and integrity in all that we say and do. We must provide just compensation to our employees, and treat with dignity all employees, volunteers, parishioners and those whom we serve. To the extent possible, we must work to heal and reconcile those whom the Church or her representatives have hurt in the past, and to ensure that none are harmed in the future. In all things, Jesus Christ must be our center and our source. Objective C1 Each department and ministry of the diocese and each parish and mission will develop one, three and five year pastoral plans in accordance with the guidelines established by the bishop s Pastoral Planning Committee. To assist parishes in this process, the Diocese will publish standards for measuring parish life and viability. Background: One of the hallmarks of Catholic social teaching is the principle of subsidiarity. This principle teaches that the institution best able to respond to a particular situation is that which is closest to the situation. Subsidiarity is also to be valued in pastoral matters. Just as the majority of the faithful do not participate in Mass in the Cathedral on a weekly basis, so the Diocese cannot do everything directly. This Pastoral Plan will only be effective if the pastoral planning process is embraced by each ministry, parish and mission of the Diocese. It is through those ministries and in those worshipping communities that the goals set forth in this Plan will be achieved. The Diocese must assist these parishes and ministries in developing their own plans and in making accurate assessments of their present needs and challenges (including their financial condition), the demographic

10 changes they might expect, the maintenance requirements of their buildings and grounds, their long-term viability, and of the needs of the Diocese as a whole. Objective C2 Each parish will implement the diocesan stewardship model Stewardship: A Way of Life. Background: The Diocese has developed a new approach to stewardship one that leaves behind the concepts of time, talent and treasure, and instead recognizes that good stewardship is actually living one s Catholic faith. Centered around stewardship of prayer, ministry, and finance, this program available in English and in Spanish has been successful in those parishes who have implemented it thus far. With the help of the Director of Development, each parish must implement this model calling forth the gifts of their parishioners. Objective C3 The Diocese will be a model of stewardship, improving its management and efficiency. In particular, the Diocese will implement a performance appraisal system for employees, will conduct a comprehensive review of its salary and benefit structure, and will establish a central procurement department by December 31, The diocese commits to prudent management of resources by establishing the goal of total debt reduction of 25% by June 30, 2014, and an additional 15% by June 30, Background: In better economic times, our society seemed to encourage individuals and businesses to grow comfortable with carrying large amounts of debt. The Diocese was no exception to this attitude. As we grew in buildings and in ministries we did so by borrowing more money than our present economy might deem prudent. As a Diocese we must adapt to the times, reducing our overall indebtedness. Just as the debt was not created by one parish or by one ministry, so the burden of reducing the debt must not be borne by one parish or by one ministry. Each entity throughout the Diocese must share in the effort. Similarly, the Diocese must recognize that though we are in ministry, we must be good managers of our human resources. Performance appraisals call forth the best in everyone and working together especially on procurements will help us not only save money but also coordinate our efforts.

11 Objective C4 The Diocese will review, up-date and re-issue policies regarding Parish Finance Councils and Parish Pastoral Councils and thereafter each parish will establish and operate both a Finance Council and a Pastoral Council in accordance with those policies. Background: The parish is the basic, identifiable link an individual Catholic has to the Diocese and to the universal Church. It is in the parish where we are baptized, where we come to marry, where we take our loved ones to pray for their entrance to eternal life. Parish life is at the center of our Catholic experience. While the liturgy is the source and summit of our faith, a worshipping community cannot be a true parish unless it offers more than a place to celebrate the sacraments. In order to move beyond the Sunday celebration, a pastor needs the assistance and advice of his parishioners. Canon law provides two principal means for this advice a parish pastoral council and a parish finance council. Each parish in the Diocese must have functioning Pastoral and Finance Councils or must consider whether it is still a viable parish. Objective C5 The Diocese will establish uniform procedures for parishes, ministries and other institutions to request diocesan financial subsidies on an annual basis. Automatic subsidies such as the high school assessment will be discontinued. Background: While each parish and ministry of the Diocese should live within its means, we recognize that those more fortunate have an obligation to assist those who are not. The mission of the Catholic Church must continue in those parishes with wealthy parishioners and in those parishes whose parishioners are economically disadvantaged. While we as a Diocese must make an effort to ensure that the mission continues, we cannot allow ministries and parishes to make unilateral decisions on how diocesan resources are allocated. As good stewards, a procedure for requesting assistance in advance must be implemented to hold one another accountable for the decisions we make.

12 D. Charity and service to all For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.... Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25: 35-36, 40. Vision Statement: Our Mission Statement calls the people of the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee to live and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ through charity and service to all. We live out this mission through a variety of social ministries and programs undertaken directly by the diocese, through the efforts of affiliated Catholic groups, and through many active programs in our parishes. Our strategic initiative calls upon all Catholics in the Diocese of Memphis to collaborate with governmental programs, private foundations, ecumenical charitable organizations and with one another to broaden the scope of our services to those in need and to involve more and more of our people in these efforts. In particular, our outreach must extend beyond midtown Memphis to each and every corner of the diocese, to families, both large and small. Our witness is needed among the poor, among the homeless, among immigrant populations (documented and undocumented, who are all God s children), among those struggling with physical and emotional difficulties, among those whose right-to-life is challenged by our society, and among those who mourn the loss of their loved ones (especially those who are laid to rest in Catholic cemeteries). We accomplish this mission by being creative and effective stewards of our resources so as to positively impact our entire community adhering to the principle that bringing the compassionate face of Christ to all does not mean that we must own or direct every charitable program ourselves. Objective D1 Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, Inc., the parishes and missions of the Diocese, and the various Catholic organizations, entities and groups involved with charitable endeavors will collaborate to broaden the charitable services offered by the Catholic Church to every corner of the Diocese, to every worshipping community, and to every ethnic and language group. Background: The charitable efforts of the Catholic Church throughout the world and, especially in this country are renowned. In this Diocese, we continue to honor as the Martyrs of Memphis those priests, sisters, brothers and lay ecclesial ministers who gave their lives in charitable service to the victims of the yellow fever epidemics in the 1870s. Yet just as yellow fever is no longer the dangerous scourge it once was, so the economic and social problems faced by the people of the twenty-first century are not the same as those faced by former generations. All of our parishes and missions,

13 and many of our Catholic organizations, are actively providing charitable assistance often without knowing what is being done elsewhere in the diocese. This pastoral plan calls on all of us to collaborate strengthening the work of each and attempting to assess and address the needs of today. Objective D2 The Diocese will work to increase the visibility and diversity of its charitable endeavors, especially those of Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, Inc., so as to increase the number of volunteers, broaden the base of financial support, explore partnerships with non-catholic charitable organizations, and most importantly to be of better service to those in need. Background: For many years, the Catholic Church operated charitable institutions St Joseph Hospital in Memphis, St. Mary s Hospital in Humboldt, and St. Peter Home for Children are examples. Institutions eventually gave way to partnerships with governmental and private funding agencies. In this new century, as the government readjusts its funding priorities, we must examine whether our charitable efforts have been driven more by the grants that are available than the mission we called to carry out. In order to put the mission first, we need to make ourselves more visible allowing others to see the work that the Church is doing and inviting them to join our work rather than the Church implementing their agenda. Objective D3 The Diocese will explore new and creative ways to influence our society on the central issue of the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of every human life. Every program of the Diocese will affirm human dignity and the Diocese must direct the resources necessary to continue its witness on behalf of those most vulnerable. Background: Though we have made many technological advances in these last decades, we have not successfully eliminated violence and injustice from our society. Indeed, as science moves forward, it seems as though the human person receives even less respect than in former ages. Rather than seeing the vulnerable as our brothers and sisters, too often we view one another as an occupation, as a burden or as a mere collection of cells. As a Church and as a Diocese, we must do all that we can to affirm human dignity and the sanctity of life. This goal must be evidenced in all of our policies and procedures, in all of

14 our communications, in the programs that we sponsor, and in the partnerships that we forge with others. The message of the gospel must be clearly articulated so that our witness on behalf of the unborn, the elderly, the poor, the vulnerable indeed, to all of God s children will be unambiguous. Objective D4 The Diocese will support those who are grieving, will encourage the faithful to entrust the remains of their loved ones to Catholic cemeteries, and will work to ensure the long-term financial viability of our cemeteries. Background: Catholics believe that each and every person is created in the image and likeness of God. God s image is not confined to our immortal soul, but embraces our human bodies as well. For this reason, in order to be our Savior and our Redeemer, the eternal Son of God took on human flesh. Through the incarnation, the human body is exalted. We believe not only in the immortality of the human soul, but in the resurrection of the body one day we shall be united body and soul with our loving God. This belief in the sacred nature of the human body and in the certainty of eternal life runs contrary to contemporary culture which emphasizes the profane and the temporary. For centuries, Catholics have affirmed our belief in the sacred nature of our creation by laying our mortal bodies to rest in consecrated ground. In former times, that was often in a cemetery adjacent to the parish church. Today, Catholic cemeteries serve multiple parishes. In the Diocese of Memphis, we operate three cemeteries: Calvary and All Saints Cemeteries in Memphis and Mount Calvary Cemetery in Jackson. Those who are grieving need our message of hope. They need the witness of faith that our Catholic cemeteries provide. By placing the mortal remains of our loved ones with those of generations of the faithful who have gone before, we bear witness to the reality of the resurrection and our sure and certain hope that all of us will rejoice in Christ s presence.